


The Nurse and the Interrogator

by completelyhopeless



Series: Detective Grayson and Forensic Batgirl Case Two [8]
Category: DCU
Genre: Alternate Universe, Case Fic, F/M, Gen, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-19
Updated: 2015-04-19
Packaged: 2018-03-24 20:04:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3782569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/completelyhopeless/pseuds/completelyhopeless
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dick interrogates Stephanie's father. Barbara once again acts as the voice of reason and might just be stuck playing nurse.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Nurse and the Interrogator

**Author's Note:**

> I figured that with only one part left, this should be my next update.
> 
> Then I decided I wanted the peanut epilogue separate.
> 
> So one more after this, maybe tomorrow.

* * *

“So tell us about the murders.”

“Why should I talk to you?” Brown asked, and Dick had to shake his head. After what Jason had done, he would have thought that the other man would be eager to talk, but Brown was apparently going to be very stubborn about this. “You have nothing on me.”

“Actually, I have a lot more than you think,” Dick said, holding up a file folder. He'd just stuffed a bunch of papers in it, but he didn't think that Brown would realize that. He could try calling the bluff, but Dick was a good bluffer and he did have stuff to back him up—it just wasn't in the file. “You see, Arthur, your daughter has been following your activities for a while now, and she has gathered enough evidence for me to connect you to more than just these murders. Smart girl. Nasty swing, too.”

Brown frowned. “You don't know anything about my daughter.”

“Trust me, I do,” Dick said, knowing he had the bruises to prove that, too. “Her name is Stephanie, her friend Tim gave her a sweatshirt that used to be mine, and she told me you were involved in this. She also gave me everything she had. She's been watching you for weeks now, and she recorded her observations. I've got all of that. Pictures. Notes. Details. Everything I need. So unless you want me to pin these murders on you, you should start talking about your friends.”

“I don't have friends.”

“Now that I believe,” Dick said, leaning against the wall. His whole body ached, and he should not be interrogating anyone like this, but Brown wasn't as intimidating or as smart as he wanted to believe he was. “Tell me about your associates.”

“I thought you knew all about them.”

“I know enough,” Dick told him. “And what I know now is that you're the one that will go down for everything while they get away because your daughter's information condemns you. They'll get off easy—unless you want to change that.”

“You're bluffing.”

“Am I? You insist you know your daughter better than I do. Do you think she's not capable of everything I just told you?”

Brown hesitated, and Dick knew he had him. The clue games Brown had played with his daughter had made her into a formidable investigator in her own right, able to puzzle out what her father was doing and work toward stopping him. She was going to be as dangerous as Tim when she got older, and Dick had a feeling they'd both be helping Bruce with his work, whether Bruce liked it or not. He wasn't sure he liked it all that much. He had been there, and he didn't know that it was the right life for any kid, even if they had skill for it.

He pushed that thought out of his head and leaned over the table. “Tell me who killed them, and we might be able to work out a deal.”

* * *

“You know that deals are the D.A.'s job, right?”

Dick opened his eyes a crack, and Barbara shook her head as he did. He should not even be at his desk, not in his state, but he was too stubborn to go home. She didn't know what she was going to do with him because the man did not know how to take care of himself. At all. “Brown talked. Why are we complaining? Did the forensics contradict his story?”

“No, they backed it, but you are in no state to go after the men we have warrants for now,” Barbara said, sitting on the edge of the desk. “Gage and Bard are going to get the glory for that.”

“If I wanted glory, I'd still work for the circus. Or Bruce. Or both,” Dick said. He rubbed his forehead and sighed. “Why would I care about glory? I did my part. I found the bad guys. I took the hit for the good of the team. I'm done.”

“You better mean that. You look terrible.”

He angled his head to look up at her. “Does that mean you're taking me home and being my nurse? Oh, wait, you'd be a doctor. You want to be my doctor? Play doctor? I like that game. I'd like to play it with you. You're such a pretty doctor...”

She put a hand to her head. “You are delirious, and I swear, if what Stephanie did doesn't kill you, I just might.”

“You can't let me die to something Stephanie did. Poor girl will be scared for life,” Dick said. He grinned. “Guess that means you have to take me home and nurse me back to health.”

She sighed. “Honestly, Grayson, I don't know why I put up with you at all.”

“I do. You love me. One of these days you'll admit it,” Dick told her, and she rolled her eyes. “I look forward to it with bated breath and expectation and—”

“Take him somewhere he can get treated and put us all out of our misery,” her father said, and she almost groaned, hoping he'd missed most of the conversation and only heard the smallest part of the end. She did not need Dick's delusions getting shared by anyone here. “Now.”

“Dad—”

“He needs medical treatment, and knowing how stubborn he is, he'll only get it if you take him to do it, so go. We can spare you for a few hours while the others wrap this up,” her father insisted. “Let's not lose one of our better detectives because he's too foolish to get help when he needs it—or not to get hit in the first place.”

Dick grimaced. “I was ambushed. I didn't think Stephanie would attack me. I'm normally more careful. Really.”

Barbara rolled her eyes. “Sure you are. Come on, Wounded Wonder. Let's get you to a doctor.”

“Does that mean you'll play nurse?”

“Dick, you're already injured. Don't tempt me to make that worse.”

* * *

“Babs?”

“Hmm?”

She sounded as tired as he was, and he smiled a little, ignoring the pain as he reached over across the couch to brush back some of her hair. “I just had a great idea.”

“I don't think you've ever had anything that qualifies as a good idea.”

“Not true,” he protested. “I've had lots. You said it yourself—I'm a good detective. I couldn't be a good detective and have bad ideas. And I still think us is a _very_ good idea.”

She sighed. “I am too tired to fight with you now, but it is not happening. I'm only here because I didn't think you'd do any of what Alfred told you to do. Someone has to make sure you actually heal for a change.”

Dick smiled at her words. She said no in one breath and yes in another. “I'm glad that's you.”

“I'm not.”

He decided shrugging would be too painful. “So my brilliant idea is this: we take everyone to the circus. It can be a maybe date cushioning the blow thing for Stephanie and Tim, a welcome to Gotham for Amy and her family, an attempt to teach Damian how to be a normal child, and fun for everyone. Maybe even...”

“Maybe even what?”

“I'll be able to introduce you to my other best friend,” Dick said, not voicing the part about a date for the two of them. “Her name is Zitka, and she is the most wonderful elephant in the world.”

“You want me to meet an elephant?”

“Yes. Is that so terrible?”

“No, Circus Wonder. It's kind of cute, actually.”

“So you'll go with me?”

“Yes.”

He shouldn't smile, but he couldn't help it. She had totally just agreed to go out with him.


End file.
